In the reading “Tomboy” one part that particularly stood out to me was the part where she was gifted the dollhouse. At first, she was upset because she is a tomboy, she doesn’t like dolls like “normal” girls, so why would she want that?! When it was pointed out to her that she can use the dollhouse for her Calico Critters, I thought it was interesting seeing how gender stereotypes and ambiguity blended. Calico Critters seem to be perceived as an androgynous toy, and seeing Liz take a gender stereotypical toy (dollhouse)and make it her own was so unique, because in a way she is fitting the stereotype of using a dollhouse, but she puts her spin on it. I feel like this example really ties into the idea that being a tomboy isn’t just a girl wearing “boy clothes” or a girl with a short haircut, it is a mindset and a lifestyle. This story reminded me of a tik tok I saw where a couple pregnant with their first child was questioning the ideology behind a gender reveal. Why is it boy=blue and girl=pink? They also mentioned that they know someone who bought a cake for their gender reveal that read “sparkles or sports”? What if it’s a girl who is an excellent athlete…. and it made something so common like a gender reveal, seem really silly. This story bent against stereotypes that the tik tok brought up and it made me think a lot more about gender roles and stereotypes.
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